Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-09-09
THE WALLED IN ROOM.

opened my eyes and looked around
me. A man was leaning over my bed;
near the man stood a woman with bon
net with great white wings on the sides,
holding in her hand a moist compress.
The room was plain and neat, with clean
white walls. On a table, covered with a
great napkin of yellow linen, noted
number of strange objects-rows of little
walls, and brown earthen jar filed with
bits of ice. Through the muslin curtains,
which bellied out from the window in the
balmy air, I could see patch Of blue sky
and the tops of green trees bending lightly
in the breeze. Where was II 1t seemed
like long dream that had had; my head
felt empty, my limbs ached, and could
not think
The man gently lifted my head, and
gave me few drops of some liquid, which
l swallowed with avidity.
"Well, Mr.. Furniss,'' he said, chow do
you feel?''
''Eh, what?" I cried. 'sWhere am I?''
"You are in my house, my dear sir, and
we shall take good care of you. Now"
he added, replacing my head on the pill
low, 'be quiet and go to Sleep
l gazed at him for long time, and all
at once I recognized DR.. Bertram, the Gel
ebrated specialist in insanity. A shudder
passed through my frame. Why was in
DIR. Bertram's hospital instead of in my
home, near Phoenix Park, with my books,
my herbs and my microscopes around me?
His hospital was for mad people!-and
that sister Of charity, those walls, that
bowl of ice-my God, must be mad!
But why? How?
GLOW long have been heres" asked,
after time.
''For four weeks, Mr.. Furniss. But
you must be quiet and sleep. Now do not
try to talk
For month! Was it possible? What
had happened? But even as asked my
self these questions little by little went
off to sleep, and 1 saw, in a billowy
meadow, road covered with blood and
bordered on either side with monstrous
microscopes shaped like trees, road on
which two little girls played at pitch and
catch with a severed head, while DR.. Ber-
tram, comically bonneted with religious
cap, rode astride of dead body, which
reared and pranced and kicked till he
could scarce keep his seat.
The next morning was better, and day
by day I improved, though that horrible
nightmare came to me each night. BUTT
grew less and less distinct, and in few
weeks it almost ceased to trouble me-
One evening the doctor, whom / had
not seen during the day, seated himself
near my bed.
"Well," said he, feeling my pulse,
"you are doing famously. I'll have you
out, as good as new, in q few days. But
you've had close shave. 1t has been
one of the prettiest cases of cerebral con-
gestion ever handled-a beautiful case.
Why, it's a wonder you are alive now.
Tell me, how is your memory; can you
remember what happened before you were
brought here?"
"I-I don't know, cannot think. I
have passed through something fearful.
What it is, I cannot say. From the
faint glimmer of recollection that comes
to me, have the sensation of having been
dead-murdered! Oh, it is frightful My
brain is weak yet Then, the child, q
pretty golden haired child-rolling on the
fioor.T
"C@ne, come, this will never do" said
the doctor 'You can tell me all about
it in the morn''-
''No, now, DOCTOR" I cried. "It is
Here is an exact transcript of my recital
the magistrate
You ,.now my passion for natural
history. Well, scarcely a week passes
that / do not go into the country botan-
izing. That day I went to Glacneyin.
where, as you know, the marshy meadows
are rich in curious plants, infusoria and
diatoms. I was returning, and was
almost in Dublin with my box full of rare
specimens, on which l expected to make
report that would astonish the Botanical
society, when saw little girl, certainly
not more than 5 or years old, who was
all alone, crying as if her little heart
would break l approached her, but at
sight of me she redoubled her cries. I
could see that the little one was lost, and
that she did not know where to go, so I
spoke to her kindly, and, by dint of
promising her unlimited bonbons, got her
to tell me that her name was Lizzie, and
that she lived near Beresford place in
Lower Abbey street. I took her hand,
and we soon started off, talking together
like old friends. She was beautiful
child, fresh and rosy, with great candid
eyes and fair hair, which was cut short
over her eyes and fell in golden ringlets
about her shoulders. She trotted bravely
along, her soft, little hand holding my
great, rudy paw confidingly. AS we
walked she told me remarkable tales, in
which figured big, black horse, a little
knife, doll and a number of people did
not know.
Lizzie was afraid she would be scolded
when she arrived home, but she was not,
and II was received with transports by
her mother, who was half distracted
Never was gratitude expressed so heartily
and pleasantly. Who was I, where did I
live, how did 1 happen to find her, and
thousand like questions were showered
upon me.
ooh, Mr. Furniss," said the mother,
s'you are the savior of my child. How
can we express our gratitude? We are not
rich, but such a debt cannot be paid in
gold. How happy my husband will be to
repeat my thanks to you. He is still at
his office, but-will you do us great
kindness, will you honor our humble
board tomorrow? I shall have a savant
here like yourself, and you two will enjoy
each others company, am sure. And
my husband will be SO happy to have you"
+ thanked her for the invitation and
promised to be on hand.
At the appointed hour was shown into
their modest parlor, and you may be sure
the husbands gratitude was no less
warmly expressed than the wife's. And
little Lizzie threw her arms around my
neck and showered on me the innocent ca
resses of a happy child. seemed, indeed,
to he one of the family,
The dinner was merry one, the savant
seemed to be an interesting man-in brief,